The frightened first years crowded around Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts Care of Magical Creatures teacher. They stood in front of the lake that was in front of the gigantic castle.
"All right, yeh first years, now one by one, crowd into the boats," Hagrid ordered. "I'll catch yeh, in case you were to slip."
"AHHH!" Neville Longbottom's son, Matthew, slipped and almost fell into the deep, dark lake while trying to get on a boat. Luckily, Hagrid meant his word, and he grasped Matthew by the back of his Hogwarts cape. "Careful there," Hagrid reminded.
"Ok-k," Matthew stammered, "I'm sorry."
"It's ok," Hagrid said gently as he plopped him down on the boat next to Fleur Delacour's son, Louis Weasley, "wasn't your fault. The deck's slippery. Now, is everyone on?"
"Yes!" came the excited cheer of the first years.
"All rightey then," Hagrid grinned through his overgrown beard and mustache, "Let's go!"
He shot up his pink umbrella in the air, causing sparks to fly out of the top, and a single spark touched each boat. The first years listened in awe as an invisible engine, that possibly wasn't even there, whirred as the boats came to life for the first and last time that year. In less than five minutes, they arrived at the tall double doors of Hogwarts. And just as quickly as they had got on, they got off. Hagrid led the way inside, where they were greeted by a lady with shiny black hair that had been yanked back into a tight bun.
"First years!" She called. "I am Professor McGonagall, your Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor house."
"She's ancient." Scorpius Malfoy whispered to Thomas Goyle.
Thomas agreed. "I'm counting the wrinkles already." Scorpius snickered.
McGonagall turned in their direction. "Gentlemen! You're lucky you are not sorted into your houses yet, or that would be fifteen points taken from whichever house you are in. However, we must start the sorting. Now, when I call your name, you must come up to this stool and I will place the sorting hat on your head."
The first years started to form a line in the front of the Great Hall at the Headmaster's podium. The hundreds of older eyes stared up at them from the house tables. Matthew squeaked and Hermione Granger's daughter, Rose Weasley, patted his head comfortingly. Scorpius whispered, "Ooh, looks like somebody's got a crush on Longbottom!"
The Slytherin members laughed coldly in approval. Albus Severus Potter had already knew where he didn't want to be sorted, but this confirmed it. That was just rude of Scorpius, he thought.
The sorting hat started to sing a song, when it finished, everyone clapped.
"Bones, Abbey!"
Abbey trudged up to the stool nervously. She shakily sat down as McGonagall placed the hat on her head.
The sorting hat schreeched, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuffs cheered and Abbey ran over to join them, blushing happily.
"Carrow, Drew!"
The hat was placed on her head when she arrived at the stool.
"Slytherin!"
The Slytherins nodded approvingly. Drew strode over to join them.
"Chang, Lynn!"
A cute Asian girl walked up to the stool and sat down.
"Ravenclaw!"
The Ravenclaws clapped and Lynn sat down.
"Finnigan, Damian!"
"Gryffindor!"
The first Gryffindor bounced over to the table as the Gryffindor students went overly crazy.
"Goyle, Thomas!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Longbottom, Matthew!"
Matthew stumbled over to the stool frightenedly.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Matthew jumped up and peed his pants. Then he ran over to the table with the hat on his head, which McGonagall asked him to bring it back. He ended up looking very pleased and embarrassed, mumbling, "My grandmother will be so proud. Thank goodness."
"Lopez, Jenna!"
"Ravenclaw!"
"Lovegood, Lorcan!"
A little blond boy eyed everyone in the room as he walked up to the stool.
"Ravenclaw!"
He skipped off to the table of smarty-pants.
"Malfoy, Scorpius!"
The room got quiet. Everyone knew that he was a son of a former Death Eater. There was no need to go up to the stool, everyone knew what house he would be sorted into.
The hat screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Scorpius walked away smirking.
"Parkinson, Daisy!"
A long blond haired girl cat-walked over to the stool.
"Slytherin!"
"Patil, Trisha!"
An Indian girl got the hat placed on her head.
"Ravenclaw!"
"Potter, Albus!"
The room got even more quiet than it had for Scorpius. I mean, this was Harry Potter's kid! Harry Potter the conqueror of Lord Voldemort! Everyone obviously knew which house he was going to be sorted into, but it was still suspenseful. He was shaking as he walked up to the stool, unlike his brother, who had strutted.
The hat was placed on his head.
Oh, Potter's kid, eh? The sorting hat echoed in his mind. Well, you have got plenty of courage, like Harry does, plenty of wits, like your Aunt Hermione, although you aren't related. You have loyalty, also, but you are not a mean one. But I know where to put you…
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shrieked.
The Gryffindor table went crazy. Just like they had years before for Harry. Albus happily skipped off to the table.
"Smith, Connor!"
A dirty-blond boy with freckles walked up.
"Hufflepuff!"
"Thomas, Felicia!"
"Gryffindor!"
"Weasley, Louis!"
A good-looking red-headed boy walked up to the stool.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Weasley, Rose!"
Louis's cousin, a cute brown haired girl with hazel eyes, nervously stumbled over to the hat.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"And last but not least, Zabini, Blaise."
"Slytherin!"
McGonagall strode away with the hat.
"So, Albus and Louis," Rose Weasley said, "What class are you looking forward to the most?"
"Transfiguration." Louis replied.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Albus stated. "I'm so happy to be in Gryffindor!" He grinned.
"I'm looking forward to Charms." Rose said happily.
"Hey midgets." James, Albus's older brother, strutted over. "How's the food?"
"Good, thanks, now leave us alone, James." Rose glared.
"I can't, I sit here too." He remarked.
"This is a really long table." Rose replied.
"But it's no fun over there. All my friends are here."
"Not your girlfriend."
"I don't have one."
"That's because you're too mean to too many people."
"Fine." He started to walk away. Then he turned back. "Hey, Albus, you know that once the Sorting Hat reconsidered Dad to put him in Slytherin?"
Albus started to shake his head slowly.
"Well, now you know you aren't for sure in Gryffindor."
Albus raised his eyebrows.
Rose shot back. "Now you know you aren't for sure in Gryffindor."
James sneered and walked away.
"There, he's gone." Rose said. Then she turned to Albus, "You know, he was just trying to get inside your head. That was only when your dad had Voldemort inside him that the hat considered putting him into Slytherin."
Albus nodded, but he was not entirely convinced.
"Jeez, Rose," Louis said, "that was some good back-talk."
"Thanks."
"Yeah," said Albus, happy to change the subject.
They feasted the rest of the night on donuts, turkey, cupcakes, ice cream, gelato, chicken legs, ham, cake, lollipops, pie, pasta, sandwiches, bacon, and chocolate-covered bacon.